Today's AI stock trade ideas: August 14, 2026
The S&P 500 is up 0.65% and the Nasdaq up 0.81% as cooling inflation data removes the September rate-hike risk. A string of blowout earnings and fresh hyperscaler capital commitments have set up clean directional setups. Eight ideas below, ranked by conviction. Scores: Conviction (1-10, higher is stronger); Risk (1-10, higher is riskier); percentage columns estimate the probability the idea works in those windows.
The scoreboard
| # | Ticker / Play | Type | Entry | Stop | Target | Conv. | Risk | 1wk | 1mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVDA | Stock Long | $222-226 | $210 | $250 | 8/10 | 5/10 | 62% | 72% |
| 2 | NET | Stock Long | $325-333 | $308 | $365 | 8/10 | 5/10 | 65% | 70% |
| 3 | PLTR | Stock Long | $175-180 | $162 | $200 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 55% | 62% |
| 4 | NVDA $240 calls (exp Aug 28) | Options | ~$2.87 | $1.00 | $8-12 | 7/10 | 9/10 | 40% | - |
| 5 | ORCL | Stock Long | $150-157 | $140 | $175 | 7/10 | 5/10 | 58% | 63% |
| 6 | CRM | Stock Long | $197-202 | $188 | $218 | 6/10 | 5/10 | 52% | 58% |
| 7 | GOOGL | Stock Short | $348-354 | $362 | $325 | 6/10 | 5/10 | 50% | 55% |
| 8 | AMD | Stock Short | $484-490 | $505 | $450 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 45% | 50% |
1. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA): Long
The top ai stock to buy now with earnings 12 days away. On August 10, Nvidia confirmed memorandums of understanding with Apollo Global Management, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs, and KKR to mobilize over $500 billion in AI infrastructure capital, per Vantage Markets. The stock is up 6% over the past month, sits 7.7% above its 20-day average, and shows steady accumulation rather than a vertical spike. Stop below $210 where recent support sits; the thesis confirms if NVDA holds $215 through next week.
2. Cloudflare (NYSE: NET): Long
The cleanest post-earnings momentum setup in this group. Cloudflare reported Q2 on August 6 with revenue of $696.1 million (+36% year over year vs. the ~$665 million consensus) and raised full-year 2026 guidance to $2.86-2.87 billion, per Yahoo Finance. Multiple analysts lifted price targets: Bank of America to $380, Citi to $400, Scotiabank to $390. The binary earnings risk is gone; the setup now is a straightforward momentum hold. Stop below $308; confirmation is a close above $340.
3. Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR): Long
Palantir beat Q2 estimates on August 3 with roughly 85% revenue growth, and received an upbeat Bank of America view on August 7, per Yahoo Finance. The stock is the most extended on this list (24.8% above its 20-day average), hence the 7/10 risk score. Stop at $162 protects the post-earnings gap. A sustained hold above $170 on normal volume is the confirmation signal.
4. Nvidia $240 calls (exp Aug 28): Options
A defined-risk play into the August 26 earnings date. The $240 calls expiring August 28 last traded around $2.87 with 20,873 contracts of open interest. Maximum loss is the premium paid; stop if the contract falls below $1.00 or NVDA breaks $215. Target $8-12. This is a 9/10 risk idea: if earnings miss, or implied volatility collapses without a large price move, most of the premium can disappear quickly.